Western cyclone., 1887-07-15
How Weeds May Spread.

The vitality Of weed seeds 10 veil
known. The means of spreading are
10 various that it is not strange that
careful farmers are much annoyed by
their spread, not SO much by theif own
negligence as by that Of slack farmers
How fast the seeds Of weeds increase
may easily be seen by experiments made
ht The Ohio Experiment Station. UpoN
lAia subject the director says:
/ ca%eful count OF the seeds III each
3 2 large numbot OF siliclcs in Shep
ber0'g Purse showed variation OF from
eiEhteep to thirty-four, the whole num-
her counted averaging little more than
twenty-five each. Fifteen hundred sill.
cles wege found upon medran-szed
p'5nt sad taking twenty-five rs the
rvmbGr OF seeds in each silicIe we found
$500 s}eds in 4 single plant.
Il single plant OF da1dolion had forty
nine ri9ened heads. The seeds, or
ratbev the achcnia, in each one Of these
heads we're counted. The smallest num-
Der found WIS 206, the largest 272; the
average for the torty-six heads being
247. This gives y, ,103 seeds from one
plant
Wild pepper-grass On one plant. just
an average sized specimen, 9,200 sill
cles were counted, making Is, 400 seeds
from single plant
The seeds on one plant Of corn Crom-
well, or wheat thief, were counted and
found to be just few short of 1000
The flower heads OF ten plants Of the
common thistle were counted. The
average for each was POS. The seeds,
or acheneS. of five heads were then
connted. The largest humber found in
n single head was $50. the smallest 287;
the aveThge for the five heads being 3z2
This givgs G5, ,366 as n fair estimate oi
the number of seeds produced by an
Rvcra-e thistle. rs il is found III ccntral
Ohio.
The 1Swer heads on two small plants
Of cbamomile were counted One con-
tanned 100. the other 163. The achenes
in five leads of the former averaged
139, with n range from 121 to 168. The
achenes in five heads Of the latter av-
eraged 10, with Q range of SO TO 140.
Thus one plant contained 1900 seeds
and the other IT, $50.
Butter weed velvet leaf, Indian NAL.
low, etc, contained 205 ripened seed
pods. Ten of these, taken without Sc
lection, gave an average of 42.3. The
plant contained, therefore, S.587 seeds
4 single average specimen of rag
weed was found, by actual count to
contain 5.336 seeds.
Two specimens Of common purslane
were examined. One contained 1900
pvxas, the other 3.2i1. The seeds in
ten pyxes of the former averaged 1lj.
Multiplying the actual number Of pyxes
bv is gives 500. 800 seeds. Counting
the seeds in twenty pyXes of the latter
specimen gave an average pyxis Of 120.
the V1riatiOn in numbers ranging from
99 to I58. Multiplying 3.2+0. the actual
number % seed capsules, by lZ0. the
average number cf seeds found in tho
I20 capsules counted, gives . product
Of 5SS.SQ@. the tota' number Cf seeds IN
the plant
Five plants Of common Piantaln av.
eraced eighteen pixies Of flowers each.
The spikes averaged so capsules each;
the capsules aver. tgcd six and hall
seeds each, making 1920 seeds psI
plant
Ten heads Ct bardock picked without
selection contained Gc5 aChenes or seeds.
The heads on FIVE Ordinary size! Plznu
were counted and they T-.s found .
2yersge $50. Multiplying :Ais 9y me
average number ot seeds found n eGo1
head :, 5 -. 0>- .satK.s Pc -p4anI